Engine starter



Dec: 9, 1930.

R. P. LANSING 1,784,190

ENGINE STARTER Filed Jan 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l R. P. LANSING De c '9, 1930.

ENGINE STARTER Filed Jan. 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Inventor attorneys Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND P. LANSING, F IONTCLAIB, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB T6 ECLIPSE MACHINE.

COMPANY, OFELMIRA HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YOBK ENGINE STARTER Application filed January 18, 1928. Serial No. 247,727.

This invention relates to engine starting mechanism, and more particularly to mechanism of the inertia type for starting internal combustion engines.

It is an object of this invention to provide novel starting'means adapted to be removably secured to the engine casing whereby energy stored in an inertia element may be employed for starting the en inc.

Another object 0 the invention is to provide a novel inertia starter for engines which is so constructed that the energy of the inertia element or flywheel is transmitted to the engine crank shaft througha novel arrangem ment of two-step gearin Another object of this invention is to provide novel inertia starter mechanism adapted to be manually or automatically actuated.

A further object is to provide a novel starter of the above type embodying means whereby a manually operable crank may be adjusted with respect to the body of the.

starter.

A further object is to provide a novel start- '25 er comprising novel means for rigidly suporting the gearing therein.

Other objects include the provision of a starter which is more efficient due to a reduction in the number of steps of gearing employed, one which is extremely light, and one embodying a very small number of parts. The above and other objects will appear more fully hereinafter in the detailed description of the invention.

Two embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, where in like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, but it is to be expressly understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not designedas a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawings,- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodi- -ment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an axial section showing the apparatus of Fig. 1 installed on the rear end of an engine housing, a portion only of the latter being shown; and

Fig. 3 is an axial section illustrating one manner in which the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2 may be combined with an electric motor.

Referring to Figs. 1' and 2, the starter mechanism comprises a housing constituted by a flanged inner portion 4 ada ted to be bolted to the engine casing 5. Bolted to the outer face of flanged member 4 is a housing member 7, to the outer face of which is suitably secured, as by means of screws, a hand crank housing 8 provided with a plurality of openings 9 in t 'e flanged portion thereof, whereby said housing 8 may be secured in any gesiged angular position to the housing mem- Rotatably mounted in the hand crank housing 8 is a shaft 10 which carries on the end thereof that projects outwardly. from said housing, pins 11 adapted to be engaged by a hand crank (notshown). Preferably, pins 11 are constituted by the ends of a single pin extending through, and having a driving fit in, an opening formed in shaft 10.

Fixedly secured to the inner end of shaft 10 within the housing member 8 is abevel gear 13 which meshes with a bevel gear 14 that is preferably formed integral with a sleeve 15. Supported in the housing member 7, closely adjacent bevel gear 14 and surrounding sleeve 15, is a ball bearing 16 for rotatably supporting the outer end of said sleeve. Bearing 16 is held against movement with respect to the housing member 7 by engagement with a shoulder formed in said member and an inwardly extending, flanged portion of housing member 8. A retaining nut 16a, threaded onto sleeve 15, holds bearing 16 against movement relative to said sleeve. The inner end of sleeve 15 is rigidly attached to a driving barrel 17 which is into a counterbore in said flange, and is .rotatably mounted, as by means of ball beari 2 ,formed integrally with a retaining ring 21a ama s not positioned in the gear'train'itself, but i's interposed between said gear' train I and lthelengine, whereby each of the gears is Screws 21?; pass through the sleeves and are threaded into flange 20. Ballbearin'gs 22 V, mounted on sleeves 21 and rotatably supa [f port three planetary gearsf23, one of: which as shown msection. v I a Rigidly secured to the face of thefflanged housing member 4 is an annular ear 25 which surrounds and meshes with. t e planeta gears 23. Each of the latter gears is in me with a sun gear 26 which is rotatably mountedzon the reduced portion of sleeve 15, and

said-sun gear is formed integrally wlth ,a

spur gear 27 which is likewise rotatablly mounted on sleeve 15 concentric therewith.

-Preferably, spacing washers 28 are interposed between spur gear 27 and a suitable shoulder formed on sleeve 15 to maintain said gear in proper position on the sleeve.

In e 'genient with spur gear 27 is a pinion 29 t at is rigidly attached to the inner end of a shaft 30. The housing member 7 "rovided with a hub 31 concentric with I tlie' longitudinal axis of shaft and positioned in, said hub are ball bearings 32 which .rotatably 'sup ort the hub of a. y

wheel 33 that is secur to shaft 30 for rotation therewith.- To secure a more compact structure, theflywheel may be provided with'an annular recess 34 into which hub 31 and ball bearings 32' roject, so that the'flywheel lies substantial y in the vertical plane of hub 31.

- Preferably, a light metal cover 35 is secured a as by means of screws to the outer face of "housing'meinber 7 to protect the fl it'is desired to rotate the ywheel heel.

limorderto store energy therein for starting the internal combustion engine on which the starter is mounted the operator actuates the 'hand crank and tin through shaft 10, bevel gears 13, 14, sleeve s motion is transmitted 15, driving barrel 17, planetary gears 23, sun

gear 26, spur gear 27 and pinion29 to the flywheel 1 The energy of the rotating flywheel 33 is imparted to a starter jaw or driving member 36 that is adapted to mesh with, but is normall out of en gement with, a similar jaw 37 ormed on t e crank shaft 38, of the 'ne to be started, or an extension thereof. t is desirable that yielding means be inter osed between the flywheel and the jaw 36 in order that no injury may result to the gearinalin the event of a backfire of the engine. oreover, the inertia of the engine parts ofiers very hi h resistance at the in stant of starting, an yielding means are desirable to facihtatethe operation of the device in overcoming this inertia. For this purpose a multiple disk clutch is preferably interposed between starter 'aw 36 and bar rel 17 which latter, duringt e starting operation, is driven by the fl wheel through the train of gearing describe above. The 'elding driving means constituted by the fr1ction the ot er.',One half-1 4 splined totheinnersurfaceef the "s'urroand;f

end of shaft'56. Surroundin protected j against excessive forces such," for were e r e bra-b kfi t ecomprises a plurality Of' -pIates leavin ,and rictionalflen Shayla-(egg; are,

ing barrel 17 closely.adj acent'tlieclosd end of the latter. Alternatingiflwith the plates 4 that are splined to the barrelyare the remaining half of the plates which have splined'engagement at their inner peripheries. with the outer surface of a nut 40, provided with a flanged portion 400 that bears a in'st' an annular bushin 41 which is L- aped in cross section an which operatively engages the outer disk or late 39. A spring spacer 42 bears against ange a and transmits-"to the latter the pressure of a plurality of coii springs 43 which have operative engagement at their outer ends with a clutch ad ustin nut 54 threaded into the outer end of barre 17.- Preferably, s rings 43 are maintained in spaced relation y means of suitable posts 55 which roject inwardly from the inner face of said nut. Threaded within nut 40, and adaptedfor rotar longitudinal movement relative thereto, is a shaft'56 provided, with lon itudinal splines at its outer end to receive t e interiorly splined tubular portion 36a of starter jaw 36. Secured to the inner end of shaft 56 is a stop nut 56a for limiting movement of shaft 56 outwardly with respect to nut 40.

Means are provided for normally main taining starter jaw 36 out of en agement with jaw 37, but said means are a apted to be actuated to move jaw 36 into engagement with jaw 37 on the engine crank shaft when the flywheel 33 has been brought to the desired speed of rotation.- For this purpose a meshing rod 57 slidably extends through vsleeve 15, shaft 56 and 'aw 36, said shaft being rovided, interme iate its ends, with a shou der which normally engages the inner the engine end of rod'57 is a spring 58 w rich bears at! one'end against the inner face of starter jaw 36 and at its opposite end against the threaded shaft 56. Preferably, the latter is provided with a recess into which a portion of spring 58 extends. The starter "jaw is maintained on meshing rod 57 by means of a nut 59 threaded onto the outer end of said rod. The opposite end of meshing rod 57 terminates in the hand crank housing 8, and to said end is pivotally connected a lever arm 60 that is rigidly attached to a'rock shaft 61. One end of shaft 61 projects exteriorly of housing 8 and carries a lever arm 62. A coil spring 63 surrounds rod 61, within the housing 8, and one end of said spring is connected to lever arm 60 while the opposite end is anchored in the housing, the spring being so disposed as to act through rod 57 and nut 59 to maintain starter jaw 36 out of mesh with the jaw 37.

The operation of the device is as follows 2-- The operator rotates the hand crank and this motion is transmitted through bevel gears 13, 14, sleeve 15, barrel 17, planetary gears 23, sun gear 26, spur gear 27 and pinion 29 to the flywheel 33, whereby the latter is rotated. The rotation of barrel 17 acts through the clutch mechanism and shaft 56 to rotate the starter jaw 36 but said jaw is maintained out of driving engagement with the engine shaft by means ofmeshing rod 57 and spring 63." Since no load is on jaw' 36, barrel l7, clutch plates 39, nut 40, shaft 56 and said jaw 36 rotate as a unit.

When the flywheel is brought to a sufficiently high speed of rotation, the operator exerts a pull to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, on lever arm 62, whereby shaft 51 is rotated against the tension of spring 63, and meshing rod 57 is forced to the left. As pointed out above, shaft 56, nut 40 and jaw 36 are rotatin in unison, but as rod 57 is moved to the le the shoulder on said rod forces threaded shaft 56 outwardly, relative to nut 40, and due to the threaded engagement of said shaft and nut, the longitudinal movement of the shaft is combined with a rotary movement relative to nut 40. A rotary movement relative to nut 40 is also imparted to jaw 36 due. to the splined engagement of said jaw-with shaft 56. Jaw 36,- spring 58 and haft 56' move outwardly as a unit until s'ai H aw en gages jaw 37, whereupon spring 58if-yields to permit endwise moveme'nt of jaw 36 relative to screw shaft 56. Com lete meshing. of the jaws is thus insured an a jam on the domain of the teeth of saidjaws is prevented.

When the shoulder on rod 57 has forced threaded shaft 56 outw'ardly to extreme position, i. e., when nut 56a has been moved into engagement with the threads of nut 40,1shaft 56, starter jaw 36, and nut 40 rotate as a unit and the full energy of the flywheel 33 is now exerted on engine shaft 38 to rotate the same and start the engine.

The inertia of the movable parts of the engine, which parts are stationary at the instant jaw 36 is engaged with jaw 37, is so great, and the energy of the flywheel is so enormous in amount, that damage would frequently result to the light elements of the starter mechanism if no slippage were permitted between the flywheel and engine shaft, at the instant jaws 36 and 37 are engaged. Accordingly, the clutch is so adjusted, by adjustment of nut 54= and hence the tension of springs 43, as to permit some slippage between plates 39 at the instant the starter jaw 55 is engaged with jaw 37 on'the engine crank shaft, whereby relative rotary movement results between jaw 36 and barrel 17. As the speed of the engine crank shaft is brou ht up to the speed of jaw 36, the slippage etween plates 39 decreases until finally the parts are, rotated as through ri id or nonslipping connections. The use 0 a slippage connection, such as the'multiple disk clutch, permits lighter parts to be used in the construction of the apparatus and this is of great importance w en the apparatus is used or starting aeroplane engines. v

After the engine starts under its own power the speed of rotation of jaw 37 becomes greater than the speed of jaw 36. The inclined faces of the teeth of the jaws now force jaw 36 away from the engine crank shaft in the event that rod 57 is being held in When the operator remeshing position.

the tendency of jaw 37 leases lever arm 62,

to drive jaw'36 coacts with the threads of I nut 40 and shaft 56 to completely demesh jaw 36 and return the shaft 56 to normal position. This action is facilitated by the return of rod 57 to normal position under the action of sprin 63.

In view of t e above, it will be apparent that no dama e will result in the event that the operator does not release rod 57 as soon as the engine starts under its own power, since the splined connection between shaft 56 and jaw 36 permits the latter to be moved away from jaw 37 irrespective of a similar movemove on the part of said shaft.

' w The starter mechanism shown 1n Figs. 1 and 2 is adaptedto be energized by power meansif desired. As shownmore clearly in Fig. 3, an electric motor 64 is rigidly attached, as by means of screws,'to the outer face of housing portion7 above the crank shaft housing member 8,,the flywheel cover 35 being removed prior to securing motor 64 inplace.

Means are provided for automatically connecting and disconnecting the. motor and flywheel whereb high speed. f the motor is provided with a threaded porthe lattermay be rotated at 1 or this purpose shaft 65 "of tion 66 on which is threaded forrotaryand.

longitudinal movement, aclutch member 67 adapted to engage a clutch element 68 rigid ly attached in any sultable manner vto the;

outer face of flywheel 33. The outer end of a motor shaft 65 is journalled in the adjacent f end of tubular shaft 30, a bushing' 69preferably being interposed between these parts.

When motor 64 is energized the inertia of clutch member 67 coacts with threaded portion 66 of the motor shaft to move said. clutch member longitudinally of the shaft into mesh with clutch member 68, whereupon the energy of the motor iseffective to rotate flywheel 33. After the flywheel has been brought to the proper speed of rotation, the circuit to motor 64 may be opened, and thetendency of said flywheel to drive clutch member 67 will result in the latter being returned to its normal position out of engagement with the clutch member 68.- When motor 64 is employed the manual means for rotating flywheel 33 may still be employed, if desired, either selectively or cooperatively.

Due to the many types of aeroplane structures employed, it is frequently desirable'to vary the angular position of shaft 10 relative to the starter housing, in order to facilitate the engagement of the hand crank with said shaft. The structure of the present invention is such that the desired adjustment of shaft 10 may be readily made even when motor 64 is employed. Rod 57 is also mounted in such a manner as not to interfere with this adjustment.

There is thus rovided novel starting means adapted to e removably secured to the rear end of an engine housing. Less energy is required on the part of the operator in rotating the flywheel through the twogearinge than would be required" if a Filarger num r of steps were used, and the transfer of energy from the flywheel to the starter jaw is more'efficiently performed. The use of two step gearing simplifies the construction and materially reduces the weight and size of the apparatus, which is of extreme importance in aeroplane use. The mechanism may be so constructed as to provide for either power or manual rotation of the flywheel.

86 Bevel gear 14 is securely mounted for rotation within the starter housing by means of ball bearings 16 and since said gear is formed integral with sleeve 15, it is held in alinement by barrel 17 and ball bearings 18, 19.

4 Various changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of parts without departing from the invention defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is 1. In apparatus of the class described, a

driven member, a driving member therefor, means including a yielding driving connection for operatively connecting said driving member and the driven member, a flywheel, means for rotating the flywheel, the axes of rotation ofsaid driven member and flywheel being laterally spaced and substantially parallel, and a two-step gear train directly connected to said driving member and flywheel for transferring energy stored in the flywheel to said driving member.

2. In apparatus of the class described, an engine engaging driven member, means for transmitting rotation to said driven member including a rotatably mounted driving member operatively connected thereto, a flywheel, means for storing energy in said flywheel, the axes of rotation of said driven member and flywheel being laterally spaced and substantially parallel, and a two-step reduction gearing constituting the sole connection between said flywheel and driving member.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a flywheel, a pinion rigidly secured to the flywheel for rotation therewith, a plurality of planetar gears, a starter jaw, means including a yielding driving connection for operatively connecting said starter jaw and said planetary gears, a member comprising an integrally formed pinion and gear that constitutes the sole driving connection between the first named pinion and said planetary gears, and means for storing energy in said flywheel.

4. In combination with an engine to be started, said engine having a member to be driven, a starter element adapted to engage the engine member to be driven, a flywheel for actuating said starter element, a pinion secured to said flywheel for rotation therewith, means for transmitting rotation to said starter element including a driving barrel operatively connected to said element, planetary gears carried by said barrel, and means for operatively connecting said barrel and flywheel including an integrally formed pinion and gear operatively connected to said barrel,

said gear meshing with and having direct driving engagement with said first named pinion, and said integrally formed pinion having direct driving engagement with said with and actuated by said pinion, a pinion concentric with said gear and rigidly connected thereto, planetary gearing meshing with and driven by said last named inion, clutch means constituting a yielding riving connection interposed between said planetary gearing and said driven member, and manual- 1 operable means for storing energy in said flywheel.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a driven member, an inertia driving member, the longitudinal axes of the driving and driven members being parallel and laterally spaced, means including planetary gears for transmitting movement from the driving member to the driven member, manually operable means for storing energy in said driving member including a shaft, and means ro-' tatably mounting said shaft, said last named means being adjust-able whereby the angular position of said rotatable shaft, relative to said driving member, maybe varied.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a memberadapted to be driven, an inertia elef ment for driving said member, two-ste gearing means including planetary gears or im parting the energy of the inertia element to said driven member, and'manually operable means for storing energy in said driving member, said manually operable member being angularly adjustable about an axis concentric with the axis of said driven member.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a housing, a flywheel rotatably mounted in said housing, means including an integrally formed gear and pinion adapted to rotate and adapted to be rotated by said flywheel, a bevel gear for rotating said first named gear, a bearing carried by said housing and adapted to rotatably support said bevel gear, and

. manually operable means for rotating said bevel gear, said manually operable means being angularly adjustable about the axis of rotation of said bevel gear.

9. In apparatus of the class described, a driven member adapted to engage the engine to be started, an inertia driving member for said driven member, two-step gearing including planetary gears for transmitting the rotation ofthe inertia member to said driven member, manually operable means for rotating said inertia member, the latter having its axis of rotation laterally spaced from the axis of rotation of said driven member, and electrical means for rotating said inertia member, said electrical means and said manually operable means being adapted for selective operation.

10. In apparatus of the class described, a driven member, an inertia driving member for the driven member, means including twostep gearing for transmitting the rotation of the inertia member to the driven member, electrical means for rotating said inertia member, manually operable means for rotating said inertia member, said electrical and manually operable means being adapted for selective and conjoint operation, and adjust able means for mounting'the manually operable means whereby said manually operarble means may be angularly adjusted about the axis of rotation of said driven member.

11. In apparatus of the class described, a driven member, an inertia driving member therefor, means including a yielding connection for transmitting the energy of the inertia member to said driven member, the axes of the driven and driving member being laterally spaced and substantially parallel, manual means for rotating said inertia member, and ower means for rotating said inertia memer, said power and manual means being selectively operable.

12. In apparatus of the class described, a housing, a flywheel rotatably mounted therein, a member adapted to be driven by said flywheel, means for transmitting rotation of the flywheel to said driven member, manually operable means including a ear for rotating said flywheel, a bearing or said gear,

said bearing being rem'ovably mounted in said housing, and a housing member for said manually operable means, said housing member constituting a retainer for said bearing.

13. An engine starter com rising a driven member adapted to be moved into engagement with a member of an engine to be started, a flywheel for rotating the driven member, the axes of rotation of said driven member and flywheel being laterally spaced and substantially parallel, means for imparting energy stored in said flywheel to said driven member, means concentric with the driven member for moving the latter into engagement with the engine member, and means for storing energy in the flywheel.

14. An engine starter comprising a driven member adapted to be moved into engagement with a member of an engine to be started, a flywheel for rotating the driven member, motion transmitting means operatively connected to said driven member and flywheel, means concentrically disposed with respect to the driven member for moving the latter into engagement with said engine member, manual means for rotating the flywheel, and a housing member for said manual means, said housing member and flywheel being laterally spaced with respect to a common plane disposed at right angles to said concentric means.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

RAYMOND LANSING. 

